Many enterprises and organizations have computer systems comprised of large numbers of different elements such as computer servers, storage devices, computers, processing devices, and the like. In large computer systems the number of system elements may run into the hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and beyond.
In large systems it is particularly difficult for system managers and administrators to monitor the functioning of the whole system, making it difficult to understand how the system is operating. Not surprisingly, effectively managing such systems is particularly difficult. Without effective management, such computer systems may quickly become outdated, over loaded, or otherwise no longer suitable for meeting the expected requirements.